One Night
by gnrkrystle
Summary: One night can change everything if put to good use.
1. Part I

**Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter. If I did, Snape would be alive, Hermione would never have married Ron, and oh yeah...I'd be rolling in money. Sadly, I'm not. :) **

****I have recently begun having all my stories beta'd by the wonderful, talented, amazing **Rusty Weasley**. So I am updating this story as of **9/27/2012** and I hope you enjoy! :)

* * *

**Part I**

Hermione angrily stomped out of the Gryffindor common room. If Ron and Lavender wanted to suck each other's faces off in front of everyone, that was fine, but she didn't have to stay and watch.

Ron was such a hypocrite. Two years ago he almost had a heart attack when she went to a Winter Ball with Viktor Krum, and now he was practically shagging a girl in front of the entire Gryffindor house. Damn the chemicals in her brain for even making her care about a silly little boy like Ronald Weasley.

There was nothing rational about her feelings for Ron. He wasn't right for her. He was lazy, sloppy, unmotivated, and mean most of the time. She, on the other hand, was dedicated, loyal, smart, and tried to help whenever she could. She knew opposites attracted, but she and Ron simply never made sense.

Of course, knowing that didn't stop the sharp pain that seared through her chest when Ron did something mean or, in this case, paraded his bimbo girlfriend in front of her. What was more, she didn't want to drag Harry into the middle of it because there was already tension between them over that damn potions book.

She silently fumed as she walked without any destination in mind. It wasn't until she was already halfway to the top that she realized she was walking up the stairs to the Astronomy Tower. There was a shuffling of feet above her that brought her out of her thoughts. She didn't really want to deal with talking to someone else.

On the other hand, she didn't want to go back to the common room. She bit her lip, weighing her options before finally deciding to continue up the stairs. Whoever it was probably would not be there long.

However, when she got to the top of the staircase and saw a familiar head of platinum blonde hair, she immediately regretted her decision. She almost turned around before he could notice her, but it was too late. He whipped around, face contorted into it's typical sneer, and stared at her in shock.

"What the hell are you doing here?" Draco barked, wiping at his face. Hermione got the the feeling he'd been crying, but quickly shook the thought from her head. She was fairly sure Draco Malfoy didn't know how to cry.

"Not that I have to explain myself to _you, _Malfoy," Hermione replied, tilting her chin in the air, "but I am looking for a place to get away."

"Well, go find somewhere else," Draco said, his voice considerably softer. He turned back around to look out at the night sky. Hermione was caught off guard by the sad tone of his usually harsh voice.

"No," she said, walking further into the tower and standing next to him at the railing that overlooked the grounds of Hogwarts. Draco just sighed and attempted to ignore her.

For the first time in months, she didn't think about Ron, standing there next to Malfoy. His strange behavior had given her something else to think about. His was acting strange and almost defeated. His face was paler than usual and dark circles had been growing under his eyes for months.

She looked at him out of the corner of her eye and saw his whole body almost shaking with tension. The Draco Malfoy she knew was never tense. He walked around Hogwarts castle with a self-satisfied smirk on his face almost all the time. Though, now that she thought about it, he'd been less haughty of late. She knew Harry assumed that the reason was that Draco had just become a Death Eater, an opinion she'd always thought was a little crazy.

Next to her, Draco was working to control his breathing. If he could focus on something other than the daunting and terrifying task ahead of him, perhaps he could keep it together and not weep like a little bitch in front of the girl next to him. Of all the people in the world, the stupid Gryffindor Princess had to be the one to find him crying all alone in the Astronomy Tower. Well, it could have been worse. It could have been Potter or the Weasel. At least Granger knew how to keep her mouth shut.

He had no idea what to do. He was no closer to fixing that ridiculous vanishing cabinet than he had been three months ago. Dumbledore was an even more frustrating matter because, not only did he not have any idea how to kill the most powerful Wizard in the world, but he lacked any desire to do so. Sure, he'd made fun of the 'old coot' but a lot of that was show. Dumbledore was really the only hope anyone had of getting out from under the thumb of the Dark Lord.

Draco was no idiot. He knew, even if Voldemort won this war, his life was better without the insane dictator. What choice did he have, though? His family's life was at stake. His stupid father just had to go and join with a mass-murdering nutter, and now he was paying the price. Sure, he sympathized with pureblood superiority, but not to the point that his father did.

He was pulled out of his silent rant when Hermione moved closer to him, "Do you want to talk about it?" she asked, her brow furrowed in concentration.

"And why would I talk to _you_?" he grunted, trying not to look her in the eyes.

Hermione's features turned annoyed and she sighed. "Maybe because you look like your dog just died, and I thought you might want to talk about whatever it is that has you walking around like a zombie." she flipped her hair and turned her body away from him again.

"You wouldn't understand." Draco finally said. He knew this girl was one of the last people he should show vulnerability to, but his self-control was waining under the mental strain of his task.

"You'll never know if you don't talk," Hermione said, turning back around. "Look, I'm not just Harry and Ron's sidekick." She said, growing impatient. Her curiosity was getting the best of her. "I can keep a secret."

"I can't talk to you about it." Draco finally said, turning around and sliding down the wall. Hermione joined him, moving closer. "What are you doing up here?" he asked, changing the subject.

"Ron stupid Weasley." She huffed.

Draco chuckled for the first time in months. "What did the Weasel do?" he asked.

Hermione was too mad at Ron to even correct him. "He and Lavender are well on their way to producing another little Weasley in the middle of the common room floor." she explained. She didn't know why she was talking to Malfoy about this. He probably could care less, besides she knew she was providing him with fuel to taunt her with for the rest of her life. However, she had a feeling that whatever was said that night would stay between her and Malfoy forever.

"I really don't know why you care," Draco said. "You can do a lot better than Weasleby, even if you are a..." he cut himself off before the word left his mouth, but Hermione knew exactly what he was going to say.

"Filthy little Mudblood?" she supplied throwing him a hard look. "Why is my blood so damn important to you?"

Draco just sighed. How could he explain something that he believed even if he didn't know why? "I'm sorry," he finally said, "I didn't mean it like that."

"Yes, you did," Hermione said, beginning to get up, but Draco's hand reached out and pulled her back down next to him by the wrist.

"No, I didn't." Draco said, finally looking her in the eyes. He didn't know why he cared that she stayed. He didn't even want her there fifteen minutes before, but her presence was the first thing that took his mind off the hell of his life since the Dark Lord had taken up residence in his home. "How can I explain what I've always believed?" he asked her, honestly wanting an answer.

Hermione's features softened slightly. "Can I show you something?" Draco just nodded as she used her wand to transfigure a stray piece of thread from her skirt into a needle. "You say I'm a Mudblood. I can show you that I'm not."

She picked up the needle and pierced her finger with it, allowing a droplet of blood to bubble to the surface. Then she held her hand out for Draco to give her his finger and he reluctantly did. He let out a gasp as she pierced his finger as well.

"What was that about?" He finally asked, watching his own blood form a droplet at the tip of his finger. Hermione held her finger up to his and smiled softly at him.

"Look," she instructed. "How different does our blood really look?"

Draco did as he was told. The red drops flowing from each other their fingers looked exactly the same. It wasn't as if he thought her blood would be a different color or actually have dirt in it, but the stark realization that it didn't look any different than his own hit him like a ton of bricks. His breath began to come out in pants and his heart raced.

"But..." he started, looking from her to their fingers and then back at her.

Hermione was surprised that her tactic had the intended result. She knew if she could just get the blood purists to understand the irrationality of their beliefs they would be able to see the world more clearly, but part of her expected Draco to be unaffected.

"We are human, Draco," she finally said, choosing his first name because she felt him on the edge of a revelation. "Our blood is the same."

Draco felt like he had been hit over the head. He couldn't take his eyes away from the two red trails that met each other where their hands were joined. An overwhelming, but confusing emotion took over him where he saw her blood meet his. He finally moved his hand from her and sucked the tip of his finger to stop the flow of blood. Hermione quickly did the same and looked back at him.

"I..." Draco started, not sure what to say. He saw Hermione in a whole new light all of a sudden. Instead of just seeing the Mudblood friend of his enemy who always beat him in the classroom, he saw a person. She was a girl at the cusp of a war, just like him. She at least had a choice, where he didn't. But still, they were in the same mess, though, obviously on different sides.

Hermione could see the wheels turning in Draco's brain and felt an overwhelming need to comfort him as his entire worldview shifted around him. When he lost the sneer on his face and allowed himself to drop his guard, he really was beautiful. It was a shame he'd been brainwashed at such a young age. She wondered how many hundreds of children, just like Draco, would never have the opportunity for understanding. It made her sad.

"Draco, are you okay?" she finally asked.

Draco didn't answer her. He was too hypnotized by her warm brown eyes. He'd been nothing but hateful to this girl from the first day he met her, and still she sat next to him, trying to help him. Of course, the new found information she'd offered him only made his life more difficult. If he couldn't categorize people the way he'd been raised too, fighting on the side of the Dark Lord would become even more unbearable than it already was. His terrifying thoughts began to creep back into his conciousness, and he quickly did the only thing he could think to do to keep them out of his head. He leaned forward, and kissed Hermione Granger.

A gasp escaped Hermione's mouth as his lips collided with hers. She pulled back and looked him in the eyes, "What was that?" she asked.

"Please," he almost begged. The last thing he wanted was to have to think about what he was doing. He just wanted to feel.

Hermione contemplated the situation for a moment. Draco was her 'enemy.' He was likely trying to forget about whatever was bothering him by losing himself in some sort of physical intimacy. It was reckless, but part of Hermione was sick of being sensible. And a large part of her had liked Darco's kiss and just wanted to feel it again. She might regret it later, but Hermione couldn't help herself. She leaned in, and taking his face between her hands, she kissed him lightly on the lips.

Draco took the lead from her, pulling her closer to him by the waist until she was almost in his lap. His tongue flicked out and begged for entrance against her lips. She eagerly granted it. She felt her body heat up all over as his fingers moved up her ribcage. She'd only ever kissed two boys in her entire life. Viktor's kisses were rough and clumsy. The Muggle boy she'd briefly dated the summer before her fifth year had been fairly inexperienced and it had been obvious. Draco was clearly a master at the art of kissing. She guessed the rumors of his sexual prowess must have had some merit.

Draco's mind was brilliantly blank as he felt Hermione's soft body against his. Even his weekly snogging rendezvous with Pansy never relieved the tension the way kissing Hermione was doing now. He didn't know why, but something in him felt totally relaxed with her. He'd never had that feeling before, and now he couldn't explain why he did with her. On the other hand, having her in his arms made it hard to care about anything but feeling.

"Draco," she moaned as his hand moved up to cup her breast. She was shamefully inexperienced when it came to sexuality, and the feelings he was erupting in her were new and intense.

Draco moaned as he heard her say his name and pulled her closer to him until she was straddling his hips. Her hands played with the hair at the nape of his neck as he devoured her lips. She felt the bulge in his pants pressing against her lace covered center, and bucked back and forth against it before she could stop herself. Things were escalating quickly but she didn't care.

"Gods, Granger," He choked as he felt her rub against him. He pulled her head back by her hair and kissed a trail down her neck stopping just before he reached the top of her shirt. His fingers moved between them, unbuttoning the white oxford shirt as quickly as possible. When she was finally divested of her shirt, he continued kissing the smooth skin of her chest, down to her lace encased breasts.

Hermione tried to work the buttons of his shirt too, but it proved too frustrating and finally she ripped the garment open. Not even bothering with removing it, she ran her delicate fingers up and down his hairless, toned chest and abdomen. He might have lost weight, but that didn't stop him from keeping his seeker's build.

She knew this was insane but she couldn't stop herself. If someone told her she'd be half naked with Malfoy in the Astronomy Tower after the Quidditch game, she'd have told them to see Madam Pomfrey. But there she was, wantonly dry humping Draco Malfoy in a dark corner of the castle. "Oh," she moaned as the bulge in his pants rubbed against a particularly sensitive part of her anatomy.

Draco gripped Hermione's hips in his hand and stilled her movements. If she didn't stop, he was going to blow his load all over his pants. That was not where he wanted to blow it. Hermione looked at him, lust mixed with confusion in her eyes. "You're killing me," he growled, his lusty gaze staring daggers into her.

Hermione attacked his mouth with hers again, sucking the breath from his lungs. Her renewed lust spurred him to move his hands from her hips to the zipper of her skirt. When she didn't protest, he pulled it down and slipped his fingers inside, just to feel the material of her knickers. She couldn't believe she was letting him touch her like this, but she didn't want him to stop. She had never felt like this in her whole life. She felt free and reckless and she loved it.

Her hands moved to the belt of Draco's pants and she looked up at him before she continued. His eyes went wide at the realization of what Hermione was doing. Sure, he'd hoped, since the moment their lips met, that she'd take it this far, but he never actually imagined that she would. "Please..." she moaned, mirroring his own words.

He didn't have to be asked twice, he moved his hands into her hair and pulled her lips back to his as she fumbled with his belt, finally undoing it along with his button and zipper. Draco hurried to pull her skirt off of her, finally ripping it at the seam when he realized she'd have to move off his lap for him to do so. "I'll fix it, I promise," he moaned as he lifted his hips for her to move his trousers off his waist.

All thought left Hermione's brain when she felt his fingers press against her clit from the outside of her knickers. "Oh!" she squeaked, throwing her head back. A jolt of heat immediately shot up from her pussy through her stomach.

Draco smirked against her skin as he reached around to unsnap her bra. He caught a nipple in his mouth. "Oh, Draco, Please..." Hermione moaned, her breath coming out in pants.

"Please what?" Draco asked, a smirk playing at the corner of his lips.

Hermione huffed impatiently. "I don't know," she snapped. "Just please..." she groaned, pushing herself harder against his fingers which were currently running up and down the length of her slit over her knickers. She was dripping wet and he was at the end of his self control.

He lifted her up off his lap and laid her down on the tower floor before moving himself to rest over her body. His lips went back to their assault of her breasts and she sighed with contentment as he settled in between her legs. She ran her fingers down his sides and hooked them into the elastic band of his boxers. With the help of her feet, she was able to rid him of the green silk that was one of the last barriers separating him from her.

"Shit," Draco panted as his cock came into contact with her wet knickers. "Hermione, are you sure?" he asked. He was holding onto the last threads of his control, but if she didn't stop him soon, he wouldn't be able to stop himself.

Hermione smiled when he used her first name, "Please, Draco," she groaned, rubbing against him. "It doesn't make any sense, but I want this." she explained.

His slipped his fingers into the waistband of her knickers and pulled them off in one clean motion before settling between her legs once more. He gripped her hips again, and Hermione groaned at the feeling of his fingers biting into her skin. She leaned up and captured his lips in hers, wiggling her hips underneath him.

She could not believe she was about to have sex, let alone with him, but in the moment it felt so perfect. She felt his fingers ghost over her wetness again and then felt the head of his cock pressing at her opening. "You are so wet," Draco murmured against her lips before rocking back and forth at her entrance.

In one quick thrust he filled her and halted. He's suspected she was a virgin and when he felt her barrier rip around him, he had to bury his head in the crook of her neck to keep from slamming into her too hard. He felt her tense up and he pulled his head up to look into her eyes. "Are you okay?" he asked, his voice hoarse from restraint.

"Yes," she breathed, tilting her hips to take him in more deeply. It really hadn't hurt as badly as she had been led to believe it would. He pulled out of her slowly before slamming back in, this time with a little more force. As he did she felt him brush against something inside her that made her insides turn to goo. "Oh yes," she moaned, screwing her eyes shut.

Draco kept a moderate pace as he moved in and out of her. He gripped her thigh and hiked it up and over his hip to enter her a little deeper. As he did, her moans became louder. The beautiful sounds leaving her mouth were overwhelming. The feel of her soft skin against his was more than he could handle, but he didn't want it to end. He knew that after this they would never share another moment like it again.

He held on tight, trying to keep control of himself and help her reach her peak. "Faster," she moaned, surprising herself at her forcefulness. She felt she was close to the edge and it was maddening.

Draco picked up the pace, fucking her hard into the ground. "So good..." Hermione panted as her breath hitched. She was close. She didn't know how she knew, since she'd never felt this way before, but she did. Her legs were beginning to shake on their own and her body was overheating.

Draco knew he couldn't last much longer. He knew Hermione was right there with him, and he decided to push her over the edge. He rested the pad of his thumb gently against her clit, applying the slightest pressure. "Fuck!" Hermione shrieked, as her body began to convulse.

Her pussy began to pulsate around his cock and it triggered his orgasm. He felt himself tumble over the edge as she began milking him dry, her voice raised in ecstatic pleasure. He couldn't string any coherent words together, but he heard himself growl as he shot his seed deep into her shaking body.

He collapsed on top of her, as his arms could no longer hold him up. They breathed each other in for several moments before he rolled to the side and turned to face her. Hermione suddenly felt very exposed without her clothes on. She blushed slightly and pulled her shirt over her chest.

"I should probably go," she said, awkwardly. While, in the moment, sex with Draco had seemed like a good idea, the intense look he was giving her only made her feel awkward.

Draco just nodded. The disturbing thoughts were seeping back into his brain, though they were far less intense than before. He fixed her skirt as promised and handed it to her. They dressed in silence, and Hermione turned to leave.

"Draco," she said, turning back to look at him. "Whatever is bothering you, I know you'll do the right thing," she said, a small smile playing at her lips. "You aren't a bad man. You just never got the opportunity to be good."

Draco stood speechless as he watched her descend the stairs to the main part of the castle. No one's words had ever shook him to the core the way her parting sentence had.

* * *

**_Twelve years later_**

Draco sat at the head table in the Great Hall of Hogwarts. They were waiting for the first-years to arrive for the opening feast of the year. He'd been the Defense Against the Dark Arts Professor for the past four years, lasting longer than his predecessors for the last few decades. Even after Voldemort had been vanquished, the position had been hard to keep filled until he came along. It was a personal favor to Dumbledore that he returned.

He'd felt very uncomfortable about returning. He could count his fond memories of the place on one hand, with one finger. The night he'd shared with Hermione in the Astronomy Tower was rarely far from his mind. As things turned out, she left school at Christmas to help Harry in his battle with the Dark Lord, and he hadn't seen her since.

By the time the war broke out, he was fighting on Potter's side, but Hermione was gone. No one would tell him where she went, but then again, no one in the Order seemed to trust him completely. Even when he was the one that isolated Voldemort so Potter could kill him.

That night with Hermione stayed with him for several reasons. Obviously, it changed his world view. He never uttered the word 'Mudblood' after that. His whole attitude about blood status change due to the shocking realization Hermione had given him about how their blood was exactly the same. That was also the night his allegiance changed. After an hour of silent debate, Draco marched into Dumbledore's office and explained what his task had been, and threw himself at the old wizard's mercy.

Of course, Dumbledore granted it. More than that, he gave Draco and his mother protection. After his sixth year, he took up residence at Number 12 Grimmauld Place. He found himself taking on Hermione's role in the group, though they never really appreciated his presence. However, after Hermione left, Draco was the only person as skilled with research as she was. Within a year the battle broke out, and, as they say, the rest is history.

More than anything, though, Draco remembered that night because it was the first and only time he'd ever felt intimacy with another person. It was short lived, but it was real. He had no idea where Hermione had gone, or why she'd left, but everyday he wished he had the opportunity just to see her again.

He was pulled out of his thoughts as Professor McGonagall led the first years into the Great Hall. As she began to call names, the children sat, one-by-one, on the three-legged stool as usual. He usually paid little attention to the ceremony. Once you'd seen a sorting nine times, it was hard to get all that excited anymore.

"Granger, Cassiopeia," McGonagall called. The name got Draco's attention. Granger was not a common name. He peered down at the little girl sitting on the edge of the stool. With one look, he knew it was Hermione's daughter. Her hair may have been blonde, but it was bushy just like her mother's. Her heart-shaped face was like Hermione's too.

His heart hammered in his chest. He quickly did the proper calculations in his head before looking back at the girl. _Twelve years ago_, he thought to himself. When the little girl looked up at the Professors table, he found himself staring into the little girl's grey eyes. His eyes.


	2. Part II

**Part II**

Hermione smiled when she saw her daughter's owl fly into her kitchen window. She'd barely been able to sleep the night before in anticipation of Cassie's first account of Hogwarts, not to mention her House placement.

**_Mom,_**

**_I'm in Ravenclaw! At first I was upset because I know that you and Uncle Harry were Gryffindors, but I've already made friends and I think I'm really going to like it here. _**

**_The first day of classes was easy. No homework yet, but I'll keep you posted. Prof. Malfoy, who teaches Defense Against the Dark Arts, gave me a book about Hogwarts after class. He said that he knew you and it was your favorite. So, I'll probably start reading that tonight. _**

**_I miss you, Mom. Maybe you can come and have lunch with me one day when you don't have to work? _**

**_Love,_**

**_Cassie_**

Hermione chuckled to herself. Her daughter was definitely going to have an easier first year than she did. Besides not having to fight for her life, Cassie was much more outgoing than Hermione had ever been. She must have gotten that from her father.

She shook her head, trying to rid herself of those thoughts. She knew, since she and Cassie moved back to England, and Draco was teaching at her school, that the issue of the girl's father was going to come to a head sooner or later. She just hoped it was later.

After the night they'd shared in the Astronomy Tower, she and Draco never really spoke again. At Christmas, Dumbledore gave Harry a mission to find the Horcruxes, and Hermione and Ron left school with him. In Hermione's case, not before being promised that she could take her NEWTS in absentia.

It was New Year's Day when she discovered she was pregnant. Telling Harry was the hardest thing she ever did. He was supportive, though agitated that she wouldn't tell him who the father was. Ron, on the other hand, took it very badly. Their relationship never really recovered.

It was decided though, that a pregnant Hermione would be far too enticing a target for Voldemort, especially as it would be assumed that the baby was either Harry's or Ron's. She wasn't safe in England anymore, and neither was her unborn child. So, as much as she hated to do it, Hermione modified the memories of her parents, sent them to Australia, and hopped a Portkey to America where she spent the next 11 years.

She made a decision not to tell Draco about Cassie. At first she was too scared. They only shared one night together, and it hadn't ended with a proclamation of love or anything. She'd also fed herself some nonsense about not knowing which side he was on, but when Harry informed her that he'd been working on their side since 6th year, she had to give that argument up.

The longer she kept it from him, the more she thought she had made the right decision. He didn't need the added pressure of a family when he was just trying to survive. From her flat in Salem, where she was studying to become a Healer, it seemed unnecessary to contact him. He was thousands of miles away with his own life.

Truth be told, Hermione was a coward. All the rationalizations she made for not telling him came down to one solid fact. She was afraid that Draco would not want anything to do with her or their daughter, and she didn't think she could handle that. It was better to go at it alone than to put herself or Cassie through the heartache of being rejected. As much as she hated to admit it, that night with him had changed her life.

Not only had it made her a mother at seventeen, but she'd never felt as close to another human being as she had to Draco. She'd tried dating in America, but her mind always wandered to what could have been with a man she barely knew. It made committing to someone else rather difficult.

When she returned to England, she considered contacting him, but talked herself out of it. Cassie had been ten years old then. At that point, would he even want to know? She wasn't sure, but she didn't even give him the chance to decide.

After she enrolled Cassie in Hogwarts, she discovered that Draco was teaching there. It was almost as if the gods were conspiring against her. But Cassie was excited about starting school, and Hermione loved the idea of her daughter attending her alma mater. She'd have to deal with the Draco situation, she knew, but perhaps it could wait a little longer.

However, as usual where Draco was involved, Hermione could not have been more wrong. Not ten minutes after Cassie's owl flew out the window with her reply, a regal black owl landed on her kitchen table. She pulled the note from its beak and offered it an owl treat before opening the envelope.

**_Granger,_**

**_I think you and I should have a talk. Can you meet me for lunch today at 1:00pm in my office at Hogwarts? It is most urgent. Send your reply back with Erwin. _**

**_DM_**

Hermione felt her heart beat faster in her chest. _Oh Merlin_, she internally groaned. _What the hell am I going to tell him? _She looked up at the clock on the wall. Well, she had four hours to figure it out.

The truth was best. He'd be pissed at her, but at least it would be out there. She was sick of carrying around the secret anyway. What she was more worried about was Cassie. She'd been very open with her daughter about her father- with the exception of his name. She'd refrained from mentioning his name in case her precocious daughter decided to try and find him.

What would she say when she found out her new DADA teacher was her father? For being the brightest witch of her age, Hermione realized she had a nice way of acting like a total moron.

* * *

Hermione's heels click-clacked against the stone of the castle floor. She would have enjoyed being back at Hogwarts for the first time in twelve years if she didn't feel like she was on the cusp of a heart attack. The closer she got to the DADA office, the tighter her chest felt.

She stopped just outside Draco's office door and took a few deep breaths. At the end of the day, no matter what happened, she had Cassie. For that she was grateful. Because of that, she could handle this. She finally knocked lightly on the door.

Draco worked hard to control his emotions before moving to open the door. Hermione was on the other side, looking up at him with an intense gaze of fear and anxiety. _Good_, he thought. He could not believe she'd kept his daughter from him for eleven years.

His anger at her, didn't change his body's reaction to the sight of her, though. She was breathtaking. Far more beautiful, even than she had been when they last saw each other. She'd matured and filled out slightly, probably from carrying his child, and the paternal instinct in him couldn't feel anything but impressed by that fact.

"Come in," Draco said, motioning for her to enter the office. He looked exactly like he did in school, only slightly fuller. She guessed he was living under much less stress these days. It did wonders for him. She trembled lightly as she brushed against him on her way into the room.

"I think I know why you asked me here," she finally said after they stared at each other for a few minutes. She dropped into the chair in front of his desk and he moved into his own.

"You always were a smart one, Granger," Draco drawled, rolling his eyes. _Great, so he wasn't going to make this easy._

Hermione sighed. "How did you know?" she asked, though she had a feeling Draco was competent enough with math to figure it out.

"Perhaps the fact that she was born nine months after we were together?" he said, "Or maybe the fact that she looks exactly like a mixture of you and me?" he continued, looking into Hermione's eyes, daring her to deny it.

Hermione didn't know what to say. From the moment Cassie was born, she saw Draco in her. Every time she looked into her daughter's eyes, she saw Draco staring back.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Draco finally asked when Hermione didn't respond.

"I..." she started, trying to think of the best way to explain her reasoning. Of course, she already knew her arguments were stupid. She'd been wrong for not telling him. She should have trusted him to handle it; instead she cheated him out of eleven years with his child.

"I didn't want to get you involved," she finally said, lamely.

"Didn't want to get me involved?!" he shouted, slamming his hand on the table. "She's my daughter. I worried about you. When Harry said you left, no one would tell me where you'd gone. I thought you might be dead. And all this time you have been alive and well, raising my daughter, and you didn't even tell me!" He was fuming and Hermione knew he had every reason to yell at her.

"I'm sorry, I..." Hermione choked on her words. She'd denied him and her daughter so much because of her stupid fear. "I didn't know how you would react. It's not like we were together. I was so young. I was scared. We were in the middle of a war and there was this person growing inside me. And I loved her. I wanted to protect her, so I left." Hermione let the tears fall freely down her face.

Draco could understand the fear, he could even understand her leaving. In fact, as it likely saved his daughter's life, he was grateful for it, but that didn't explain why she'd kept it from him so long. "So, what stopped you from telling me when the war ended?"

Hermione sniffled. "I don't know."

"Don't give me that, Granger," he sneered. "You know everything."

"I was scared of you too, okay!" she finally shouted. "That night we shared together, it changed me. I felt something I'd never felt before, and I couldn't just come back to England and tell you about Cassie just for you to reject us." She stood up and began to pace the room as she continued. "I shouldn't have kept her from you. I was selfish, and I know why you hate me. I deserve it."

Draco sighed and stood up. He walked over to Hermione and wrapped his hands around her shoulders, halting her frantic pacing. "I don't hate you," he breathed, "how could I hate the only person I've ever loved?"

Hermione's eyes snapped up to look him in the eyes. "But..."

"You think you were the only one that changed that night?" he asked. "You opened my eyes in so many ways in that Astronomy Tower. I am who I am today because you gave me the strength to be a better person. You told me _'You aren't a bad man. You just never got the opportunity to be good.' _The problem is, you turned out to be one of those people who didn't give me the opportunity."

Hermione's mouth dropped open as he spoke. She had no idea he'd even remembered that. She felt ashamed. He was absolutely right. This entire situation boiled down to one thing- she hadn't trusted him. "You're right," she finally said. "I should have known, especially after that night, that you could have handled this."

Draco's hard features softened slightly. His hands were still on her shoulders, rubbing them slightly. "There is nothing we can do about it now," he said. "I wish you would have trusted me. I'd have done anything for you and Cassie. I hope you realize that. But it's over now. The question is, where do we go from here?"

"What do you mean?" Hermione asked him, letting her body relax into his touch.

"I mean, now that I know about Cassie, I want to be involved in her life," Draco said, as if his conclusion was obvious.

"Oh, of course!" Hermione said, smiling for the first time. "She knows almost everything I do about you, except I never told her your name."

Draco felt dazed at the idea of getting to know his daughter. "Why did you tell her I wasn't around?" he asked.

"I told her the truth, mostly. I said, I hadn't told you about her and then, when she started asking why, I told her that I didn't know where you were," Hermione explained.

Draco smirked slightly. "So, the Hermione version of the truth." He didn't want to fight anymore. He'd have plenty of time to discuss the details of Hermione's lie later. Right now, he just wanted to bask in the feeling of being a father.

Hermione blushed. "I'll tell her right now, if you want," she said, excitedly. "I've always wanted her to have a father. It's my fault she hasn't."

The pink tinge of her skin as she blushed took Draco's breath away. He stared down at her and brushed his fingers across her cheeks. "You're so beautiful, Hermione," he breathed. The words just tumbled out of his mouth before he could stop them. He'd dreamed about seeing her again for over a decade.

Hermione's breath hitched and her eyes went dark, "Draco..." she almost moaned, moving closer to him. Within seconds, Draco's arms were full of Hermione. She launched herself at him and attacked his mouth with hers.

Draco quickly took charge, pushing Hermione roughly against the desk. He lifted her up so that she was sitting on the edge with him standing between her legs. "I've waited for this for so long," he moaned, moving his hands up her pencil skirt, letting it bunch around her hips.

"We shouldn't do this," Hermione moaned as he sucked on her neck. As good as it felt, she knew nothing had been resolved. However, the way Draco was touching her made her want nothing more than to lock herself in this office with him forever.

Draco moved to look Hermione in the eyes. "Don't tell me you don't want this," he was pleading with her. He couldn't bear the thought that he was the only one to feel this way.

"I do," she groaned, pulling him back to her, "but what about tomorrow?"

"I'll still be here," Draco said meaningfully.

Hermione moaned and pulled his teaching robes off of him. Within minutes he was down to his unbuckled pants. Hermione's shirt was open, and the cups of her bra were pulled down to her stomach. Her skirt was bunched around her waist and her knickers were hanging off her right foot.

"Draco, please," she moaned, looking him in the eyes.

"Please what, Hermione?" he asked, remembering his words from their first night together.

"Please, fuck me," Hermione growled, pulling his lips back to hers. His cock throbbed and he pulled it out, rubbing it up and down the slit of her wetness.

"Stop teasing," she moaned, throwing her head back. She was far more vocal than their first time, and he had to admit, he loved it. He kissed her hard and thrust into her in one smooth motion.

Both moaned loudly as he buried himself inside her. "Yes," Hermione shrieked as his cock pumped in and out of her with such force that she had to grip the desk for leverage.

"God, I've wanted you for so long," Draco grunted, pounding into her.

"Me too. I was stupid," Hermione gasped, feeling her pussy contract slightly.

"We'll fix it," Draco promised, gripping her hips to fuck her deeper. He could feel her walls fluttering around him. She was close. He decided to help her out. His fingers moved over her clit and he gently rubbed it in a circular motion.

"I'm coming..." she moaned, squeezing her eyes shut as her whole body shook with her orgasm. Draco slowed his pace to let her come down slightly before he began pumping into her again, with greater force.

"Oh Draco," Hermione groaned, feeling another orgasm building up in her. "I can't...I..." she was incoherent with lust. She'd never felt like this before. She feared her body was going to combust.

"I'm close," he grunted, feeling his balls constrict. When her pussy clamped down on him for a second time, his cock jerked and he came inside her.

They panted against each other for several minutes, before Draco finally pulled out of her and grabbed his wand. He used it to clean the both of them and fell into the chair Hermione had previously been sitting in. "Come here," he said, pulling her into his lap. No way was he going to let her get away from him this time.

"You do realize we forgot to do a damn contraceptive spell again," Hermione pointed out. The last thing she needed was to have another child with a man she wasn't even remotely dating.

Draco hugged her tight. "Whatever happens, I'll be there," he said.

Hermione looked over her shoulder at him. "What does that mean?"

"Do I have to spell everything out, Granger?" Draco chuckled. "Obviously, I'm not just going to let you go," he replied.

"So, what, you want to date?" she asked.

"Well, yes," Draco said. "Though, since I plan to ask you to marry me one day, why don't we just make it official and say we are exclusive," he chuckled.

Hermione's eyes bugged out of her head when she heard that. "Marry me?"

"You are the mother of my child. And I am in love with you," Draco finally said.

"I..." Hermione's voice caught in her throat. "I love you too," she said. She had for twelve years, she just wouldn't let herself admit it.

"So..." she said, standing up and pulling her knickers back on. "What do you say we have lunch with Cassie? It's about time she met her father, don't you think?"

Draco jumped up and righted his clothes quickly. His excitement was palpable. Cassie didn't know it yet, but she was about to become the most spoiled girl in Great Britain.


	3. Part III

**Part III **

Cassie Malfoy, age sixteen, stomped out of the Ravenclaw common room and down the stairs of the West tower. She tried her best to fight the tears forming in the corners of her eyes. _Anger._ She needed to focus on her anger, rather than the hurt of rejection that was bubbling up at the surface.

In her whole life, she'd never been so embarrassed. Even, five years ago, when she discovered that her own teacher was her father, and everyone in the whole school found out, she was able to brush it off. She liked having her dad in her life, and everyone forgot about the scandal of it after a while.

She turned sharply around a corner and began down the stairs of the Dungeons. As much as she may have loved her father, he was not going to get away with this one. She made quick work of moving through the corridors of the dungeons until she came to the small apartment her parents shared in the bowels of the castle.

It had been a fairly short courtship between her mother and father, and after they felt Cassie was comfortable enough with their union, they married quietly and her mother moved to Hogwarts. Hermione still worked at the Ministry, but by the wonders of the Floo Network, could live in the castle with Draco. At first, it was weird having her parents at school all the time when no one else did, but they had done a very good job of giving her space, especially in public. That was, at least until now.

Cassie took a deep breath and tried to control her emotions, before banging loudly on the door. She tapped her foot and crossed her arms, waiting for her parents to answer. She'd gone over her speech in her head a million times, but she didn't know if she'd be able to keep it together long enough to deliver it.

Finally, the door swung open and her dad's blonde head poked out of it. His smile grew exponentially when he saw her. "Cassie!" he cried, pulling her into the front room of their chambers. She quickly pulled herself from her father's arms, and glared at him, without a word.

The smile fell from Draco's face when he saw the way his daughter was looking at him. Rarely had he been on the receiving end of that look from her. He'd seen it in her mother a hundred times though. "Honey, what's wrong?" he asked, moving closer to her. She backed away again.

"How could you!" she finally cried, the battle against her tears lost.

Draco stared back at her, baffled. Hermione moved from the bedroom where she'd been reading to the sitting room when she heard her daughter yelling. Cassie made many visits to their apartment, but she only ever fought with her mother, and that was rare. In fact, Hermione had been a little jealous of how well Draco and their daughter got along.

Cassie's eyes shifted over to her pregnant mother, who plopped down on the couch. "Do you know what he did?" Cassie snapped, incredulously.

Draco moved to sit next to Hermione, truly confused. "What happened?" Hermione finally asked. She could see her daughter was clearly distressed, and apparently Draco had done something to cause it. Though, for the life of her, she couldn't imagine what it could have been.

"He knows what he did!" Cassie barked.

"Cassie, please tell me what you are talking about," Draco pleaded.

"I'm talking about Michael Flint, Dad!" Cassie bit out, her eyes flashing the way her mother's did when she was beyond pissed off. Draco swallowed, visibly causing his wife to look at him.

"Honey, I was..." he started, but Cassie immediately cut him off.

"I like him, Daddy!" she cried, pacing back in forth in front of them. Truth be told, she was head over heels for him. There had been a number of boys who'd shown interest in her since she started Hogwarts, but she'd mostly focused on her homework. When Michael kissed her by the Quiddich pitch after Ravenclaw beat the Slytherins in their first match, though she felt like she was floating on a cloud.

"But I..." Draco started again, but was cut off again.

"Do you know how embarrassing it is when your _Dad_ threatens to flunk your boyfriend!" she choked.

Hermione's head snapped to look at Draco, "You did _what_?" she snapped.

Draco knew he was in trouble. Both of the women in his life were glaring at him like he was head Death Eater. What was more, seeing Cassie look at him with that hateful stare sent a chill through his bones. The last five years had been the best of his life and she was the biggest part of that. They'd never even fought, let alone had a blow up like this.

"I didn't threaten to flunk him," he tried to explain. "What I said, was that as far as he was concerned, I was a very powerful man who could control his ability to stay in the N.E.W.T. program."

"That's the same bloody thing!" Cassie shouted. She never cursed, but she could feel her skin crawling and she couldn't hold back. "Well, congratulations, Dad. He broke up with me and informed me that he would not be talking me to the Christmas Dance."

Her body shuddered slightly as a fresh wave of tears seeped out of her eyes. Draco felt horrible. He wanted to reach out and comfort his daughter, but she just thwarted his attempts.

"Oh honey," Hermione cried, pulling her daughter to her. She glared back at her husband as she led her daughter into the bedroom. "Tell me what happened," she said when she finally got Cassie calmed down enough to talk.

"It was so humiliating, Mum," Cassie cried. "I went to talk to Michael about the dance because we'd already agreed to go, and he wouldn't look at me. So, I started to think something was wrong. Then he told me it wouldn't be a good idea for us to go." Hermione rubbed her daughter's back as she ran her fingers through her hair.

Cassie felt comforted by her mother's touch and calmed down a bit. Her tears were slowing and silent as she continued. "So I asked him what was wrong. We were so good together. I've never felt like this before." She looked up at her mother, hoping she understood what she meant. Hermione smiled knowingly back at her. She knew that feeling completely.

"Anyway, after a few minutes of trying to avoid the issue, Michael finally told me that Dad threatened to flunk him, and take away house points, and also told him that he was raised by Death Eaters and would have no problem taking care of Michael, should he need to." Cassie's voice took back its cold and harsh tone.

Hermione could understand why her daughter was so upset. If her father had pulled something like that, she'd have hexed him into next week. As endearing as it was that Draco was playing the role of 'protective dad,' it was unnecessary and insulting. "Baby, why don't you let me talk to your father? We will fix this. You just stay here and have a cup of tea and calm down, okay?"

Cassie just nodded and buried her face in her parents' bed pillows.

Draco was pacing back and forth in front of the couch. So, he'd said some things that he probably shouldn't have to Flint, but the stupid boy wasn't supposed to hurt Cassie. And he, certainly wasn't supposed to tell her about their chat. He just wanted to protect her.

She was still a baby. He's only had her in his life for five years. He wasn't ready to pass her off to some little boy who just wanted to grope his only baby girl in the corridors of the castle.

He'd been ready to use an Unforgivable Curse on the boy when one evening he has accidentally seen the Flint boy with his daughter when they were supposed to be on Prefect duty. Bile rose up in his throat as he watched his daughter giggle when the filthy boy cornered her against the wall and moved in, kissing her on the lips. When his hands moved up her sides, higher and higher, Draco had to turn away.

She was only sixteen years old. He wasn't good enough for her. She would get off track. There were a million reasons why he felt he needed to put a stop to whatever was going on between the two of them.

He was pulled from his thoughts when Hermione walked into the room, slamming the bedroom door behind her. At five months pregnant, she was usually glowing, but currently, she looked like she was ready to hex his balls off. "Draco Malfoy, please tell me that you did _not_ threaten your daughter's boyfriend." Her voice was so calm it was scary.

"Hermione, look, you didn't see them," he tried to explain.

"See them what?" Hermione asked, her hands on her hips.

"He was kissing her!" Draco cried.

Hermione struggled to control the laughter that was threatening to bubble out of her. "Forgive me if I'm wrong, Professor Malfoy, but what were _you_ doing to girls when _you _were seventeen? Because, as I recall, you and I created Cassie at that age." She eyed him incredulously and dared him to disagree.

"Exactly!" he shouted. "I know what these vile little boys want. Especially the offspring of Marcus Flint! She's too young to have a boyfriend. She needs to focus on her studies and he would only distract her, or get her pregnant, or worse!"

Hermione rolled her eyes and plopped down on the couch again, motioning for him to sit next to her. "Listen to me very carefully, Draco Malfoy," whenever she used his full name, her knew he was in real trouble, "I know that you have no practice with this. The whole 'teenage daughter' thing is new to me too. However, if you want her to get pregnant and run away from us, the best road to take is the one you are currently on."

"Right now," she continued, "we have a very embarrassed and humiliated daughter crying into our pillows because her dad convinced her boyfriend to break up with her. She likes this boy. She likes him a lot, and he just broke her heart because he was afraid of you."

"Well, clearly he's not man enough to be with her, then, is he?" Draco countered.

Hermione smiled at that, "You might be right, but that is for _Cassie_ to decide. Imagine if you were her, Draco." He looked at her confused, so she explained, "Imagine that you are sixteen, and not surly, so of course this is a fantasy," she laughed. "Imagine that you met a girl who gave you butterflies in your stomach and gave you your first kiss. Imagine this girl made you smile just by entering the room. Imagine these feelings are all new and strong."

"I get the picture, Hermione," Draco huffed.

"Okay, now, imagine that Lucius went to this girl and threatened to ruin her life of kill her if she didn't break up with you."

Draco's heart stopped. He hadn't meant to come off _anything_ like Lucius. He never had any intention of following through with the threats, he just wanted to scare the boy to keep his hands off his daughter. "Oh, Hermione. I'm an idiot."

Hermione just smiled to herself and pulled his head into her chest. "Yes you are, but you are a loving idiot. I love that you want to protect our daughter. And I also know that this is all partially my fault."

"How on earth is this your fault?" Draco asked, looking up at her.

"You've only gotten to have Cassie in your life for five years and now it feels like you are losing her. That's on me," Hermione explained.

"We've been through this, Hermione. As much as I wish i could have been there, We would, likely, never have gotten to where we are today if we hadn't taken the roads that we did. With all your memories and the Pensieve, I have been able to see her first words and the first time she walked. Its not the same, but I accept it. And blaming yourself doesn't do any good," Draco explained.

"Well, you won't be missing a single second of raising this one," she laughed placing his hand over her swollen stomach. "And some days, you might wish you could."

He stuck his tongue out at her before attacking her mouth with his. Hermione's eyes slipped shut as she moaned against his lips.

"Could you two stop that until I'm gone?" Cassie's exasperated voice called from the bedroom door. Hermione giggled and pushed Draco off of her before sitting upright.

"Cassie," Draco said, standing up and moving over to her. He wrapped his arm around her shoulder and she let him but wouldn't look at him. "Honey," he said, lifting her chin up to look at him, "I'm really sorry."

"I know," Cassie said, finally. "These walls are paper thin," she chuckled lightly.

Draco sighed with relief and pulled her into a tight hug. "I'm not going to get pregnant," she said, pulling away to look back up at him."

Draco cleared his throat uncomfortably before she continued. "I want to be a Healer. I want to do a lot of things. I know how hard it was for mom," she said chancing a look at her mother. "Being a teen mother was very hard for her."

Cassie moved to the couch and her father followed her, placing her between him and Hermione. Hermione placed a comforting hand on her daughter's back. She knew that Cassie needed to get this off her chest. "I remember when I was little, before mom finished her education, there were nights that she didn't eat so that I could. As much as I admire her for that, I don't want that life," Cassie explained.

"Oh, honey..." Draco started, tears filling his eyes. He broke his heart to think about his wife and daughter struggling while he had a fortune he'd just been sitting on.

"No, I need to explain this," Cassie said, "I need to tell you how I'm feeling because you didn't bother to ask before you acted. You can trust me," she said, looking her father in the eyes. "I'm not going to get pregnant because I'm not even thinking about having sex yet. I am responsible. I've never once given either of you any reason not to trust that I can make good decisions."

"You are right," Draco finally said. "I'm sorry. But for the record, it wasn't you that I didn't trust."

"Michael cares about me, Daddy," Cassie said. "I could tell when he said he had to break up with me. He didn't want to, but you are very intimidating," she smirked up at him, just like a Malfoy.

Draco hugged his daughter to him and kissed her forehead. "Flint? Really?" She just nodded at him. "Fine, I'll tell him I've called off the dogs," he finally conceded. "But, if he does hurt you, I will hurt him."

"And I'll help." Hermione piped in.

Cassie smiled, "Fair enough." She kissed them both goodbye and headed back to Ravenclaw Tower.

* * *

Cassie had never felt more like a princess. As Michael led her around the dance floor, she felt like they were the only two people in the world. Her ivory dress flowed from her waist to the floor, making her feel like she was floating.

Michael's hand were cinched tightly around her waist as their chests pressed against each other. Her head was placed on his shoulder and she smiled contentedly as she breathed him in. He placed baby kisses down the side of her face before lingering over her ear. His warm breath almost made her shudder as he whispered, "You are the most beautiful girl in the room."

Her smile widened as she moved her head up to look him in the eyes. "Thank you."

"I'm sorry," he said, placing a kiss on the tip of her nose.

"For what?" she asked.

"For listening to your dad. I should have told him to bugger off," Michael explained.

Cassie laughed, "Oh yes, tell Professor Malfoy to 'bugger off.'"

"Well, at least I should have ignored him. The way you looked at me when I told you that we couldn't be together..." Michael trailed off before finding his voice again. "Well, let's just say, if I never see you look at me like that again, it will be too soon."

Cassie smiled and stood up on her tip-toes to kiss him lightly on the lips.

Across the room, Draco and Hermione were swaying to the music. Their attention was on their daughter, dancing with her boyfriend. "She looks so beautiful," Hermione smiled.

"Just like her mother," Draco replied.

Hermione grinned up at him. "She's so happy. Just look at her," Hermione said, pointing in their daughter's direction. "We were never able to be that happy."

Draco scoffed, "Are you telling me that we are not currently happy?"

Hermione rolled her eyes, "That's not what I meant," she said. "What I mean is that our Hogwarts years were never this happy and carefree. I was always saving the world with Harry and Ron. You were always walking the fine line between Death Eater and student. We were so young." Hermione looked at her daughter and smiled again before continuing. "By the time we were Cassie's age, you'd taken the Dark Mark. I'd almost died more than once. We were children thrust into the roles of adults."

Draco pulled her closer and kissed the top of her head. "You are right. And as much as I hate to admit it, Potter had it the worst."

"I'm just glad that our daughter can be sixteen and have her biggest concern be whether she'll be asked to a dance or not. Or to wear he hair up or down. Or even whether she'll get into the Healer program," Hermione said, squeezing her husband's hand.

"You're right," Draco said. "I never thought about it like that, but if Michael Flint is the biggest thing we have to deal with, I guess we are lucky."

Hermione smiled and rested her head on Draco's chest. "Thank you for giving me our daughter," she said, "and our son," her hand instinctively went over her stomach.

"No, thank you, Hermione," Draco said, sweeping her into his arms and moving her across the dance floor like a pro.


	4. Finally Beta'd: An Author's Note

As you may know, I've acquired an AMAZING beta **(Rusty Weasley)** and am updating my stories. I don't make a habit of using chapters for Author's Notes, but I just wanted you all to know this is the updated and polished version of the story! Hey, it beats reposting it all together, right! :)

Thanks so much for reading, and I hope you enjoy(ed).

Krystle


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